INTD Review: Chapter 1

arose after WWII in speech by Harry Truman (1949)- idea of "backwards" society (gave examples of underdeveloped areas - no food, disease, poverty compared to developed - scientific progress and industrialization) as criteria for measuring underdevelopment

Implies there is a scale that nations can be compared on

• NATO - 1st
• Nations under the Warsaw pact- 2nd,

these two became irrelevant after fall of Berlin wall

third was everyone else - term stuck - negative connotation, implies world heirarchy

fourth is a newer term, used to describe the poorest of the poor, where there is lots of conflict, or it refers to the indigenous communities

Emerged in 70's

Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan recently Turkey and Malaysia

economic transformation of countries formerly considered to be developing, aka "emerging markets"

• criteria:
• 1. manufactured goods contribute 30% of GDP
• 2. manufactured goods as 50% of total exports
• 3. shift in employment from agriculture ot industry
• 4. per capita income of at least $2000 USD (1991)

work to make existing practices seem legit

shape future policy making

Tiers Monde (3rd World) - 1952

bottom layer of social pyramid. Applied to countries w/ diverse economic, social, political histories which had different paths of development

eventually took on the connotation of poverty at national level

newest term, more positive

defined by countries that have a GDP under a certain level, used by the UN

poor countries and countries that require social, and economic development

South: geographical ocation but some exceptions - Austrailia, N. Zeland

Global South - better able to incorporate centrality of historical and contemporary patterns of wealth and power into loosely defined concept

growth of economy - 1950's and 60's

under influeces of Walt Rostow's thoeries - Stages of Economic Growth (1950)

Gross Domestic Product

sum of total economic activity of a country

result of agricultural productivity or industrialization but associated with poor working conditions, environmental degradation, inflation

poverty reduction: happens quicker when coupled with improvements in income distribution

makes poverty reduction easier but not necessary

poorest least likely to benefit from trickle down economics

Gross National Product

sum of total economic activity that happens on national soil

this is the average income per inhabitant

most widely used measure of how countries are doing in terms of development

Gross National Income / captia

used by World Bank, essentially GDP

Purchasing Power Parity

takes into account different buying power of a dollar in different economies

(convert currencies into USD)

development implies increase in living standards

ec. growth is good indicator of industrialization levels but not of...

social and physical environment (ec. growth doesnt account for prices of subsistence products, only those on the market)

prominent development economist

argued that current wealth disparity btw developed and developing nations is almost entirely caused by small differences in growth rates in the period since 1820

(we assumed wealth would trickle down but GDP/capita is average wealth, says nothing about distribution)

measure of how the wealth of a country is distributed among its population (how much do rich have, how much do poor have in comparison)

Growth w Equity - does not usually happen? Wealth does not always trickle down, usuallyy gets reinvested into industries

Social?

1. Dividing population into equally populous strata (quintiles or deciles) and comparing the avg. incomes of these different strata to eachother (income of wealthiest 20 to poorest 200)

2. Gini coefficient - more common, between 0 and 1, lower = better

(1969) - development as the realization of the potential of human personality (social barriers and inhibitions of unequal society distort personalities of both rich and poor) --> "what are the necessary conditions for a universally acceptable aim, the realization of the potential of human personality

• Concluded that 6 conditions are necessary:
• 1. Adequate income to cover basic needs of survival
• 2. employment (including non-payed social roles that provides identity and respect)
• 3. Improve distribution of income
• 4. Education, esp. literacy
• 5. Political participation
• 6. Being part of a nation that politically / economically dependent

Dudley Seers' theory undermines broad social trust and social capital...

- the extent to which individuals are willing to cooperate in the pursuit of shared goals --> usually thought to be essential to development of civic / democratic culture.

1. impact of (neo-)colonial ecnomic relations --> led to unequal social relations based on slavery, feudalism, and land ownership patterns that still have influence today

2. Characteristics of late industrialization --> use of capital intensive technology - reduce the employment of potential GDP growth

3. Inadequate / non-existent social safety nets and regressive tax systems --> prevent redistribution of national income towards poor/middle classes

Absolute - below minimum level of income for survival - survival threatened; cant make basic ends meet (1993 - less than 1 USD / day)

Moderate - basic needs are barely met, but survival is not actually threatened (2 USD / day)

Relative - does not threaten daily survuval but cant participate actively in society (Ex: no computer, cant look for jobs)

(1971)

3 core values of development (what it should promote

• 1. life sustenance - basic survival requirements (food, clothing, health, shelter)
• 2. self-esteem (dignity/identity of individual)
• 3. freedom (expanded range of choice and freedom from "servitudes")

(1999) - "Development as Freedom"

Economic growth should be used as a means to achieve other social objectives (increasing people's freedom) - poveryt limits ppls ability to improve their lives

Capabilities approach?

Human Development Index - constructed by UNDP in 90's

Measures life expectancy at birth (food, health care, safety from violence), education (adult literacy, gross enrollment in primary/secondary schools) , standard of living (GDP w PPP)

Human Poverty Index (UNDP)

• - % of pop not expected to live beyond 40
• - % of pop w/ no access to health care,
• - % of malnourished children

Gross National Happiness Index (Bhutan 1971)

psychological and social indicator

• 1. Promotion of sustainable development
• 2. Cultural values
• 3. Conservation of natural environment
• 4. Establishment of good government

(FOR global redistribution)

argue the principles of justice imply moral obligation to help poor across national boundaries (boundaries are not overridingly ethically important) glob justice implies set of responsibilities to ppl everywhere

Consequentialist (Peter Singer) - assesses morality of an action based on goodness or value of outcome - too idealistic?

Contractarian (Charles Betz and Thomas Pogge) - moral norms are justified according to the idea of contract or mutual agreement - political philosophy (hobbes, locke, rawks)

Rights Based (Jones and Henry Shue) justifies moral claims on the basis of fundamental entitlements to act or be treated in a speciic way. Justifications for this type of morality are complex - include the idea that we have rights b/c we have interests or bc of our status

• Communitarianism
• - political and social community is morally relevant (moral discussions can only be understood among people sharing common culture,language, history etc.)
• - justified in giving moral preferece to needs of fellow citizens special bonds and collective enterprise create relationships of reciprocity

• Libertarian (Robert Nozik)
• - primacy of individual right to freedom and non-interference (value on the right to obtain and retain property)
• -state of affairs should be assessed not just on the basis of outcomes (wealth, pverty) but on the basis of procedures

suggests that researchers or development practitioners must be aware of and reflect upon the social and power relationships in which they are embedded, particularly their position relative to the local people with whom they interact. (not always easy to assess so take care to do so )

development workers expected to live modestyl w/ ppl they are assisting

high moral/ethical standards - democratic accountability, but locally spread the wealth

development tourist - jet in and out of poor countries dispensing advice with little understanding of local conditions

they should enable ppl, esp. the poor, oppressed, and marginalized, to organize and improve political, social and economic situation - West is not the only way